“I’m going to be @ church @ 11 a.m. to pray for Sarah* and her family. Join me if you
 can. If you can’t, plz stop & pray @ 11.”

The teenage daughter of a friend of mine was in trouble. She had made repeated bad choices and her mom, Rhonda, was at the end of her rope. Not knowing what else to do, another friend sent that text to several of us who attend the mom’s group at our church. So, I found a sitter for my kids and raced out the door to church. In the sanctuary I found Rhonda, brokenhearted and scared by the choices her daughter was making. She couldn’t talk. She couldn’t pray. She didn’t know what her next move should be.

But the rest of us knew. Four women, all from different stages of life got on our faces and prayed. Boy, howdy did we pray! We prayed down the power of heaven in the lives of Sarah and Rhonda. We prayed specific scriptures and claimed the promises of God in that sweet girl’s life.

We didn’t give advice. We didn’t pat her on the back and tell her it was all going to be okay (because we are not sure it will be). We got real about the fact that we were powerless in the situation, and so was our sweet friend, Rhonda, but that we knew a God who is awesome in power and invites us to come to Him.

It reminded me of Ezekiel 22:30,

“I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.”

Destruction was a very real threat for Rhonda and her family. But as fellow moms, we stood in the gap. When our friend was all prayed out, we got on our faces and prayed for her.

This post is so not about me. I’m not writing to let you know how spiritual I am or how sacrificial I can be for other women. I’ve lived long enough to know that my wall will face destruction at some point or another. When it does, I can count on Rhonda to pray facedown for me.

But I want you to see the value in creating a community of Christian women. The women I prayed with this week are women my children and I have play dates with, women I go to coffee with, women I swap coupons with. But more importantly, they are women who love God and His Word. They are women of prayer who see prayer as their primary work. And they are women who, when called to prayer for another woman, will get on their face in the middle of the day.

When I write about community among women, I often hear that finding other praying women is impossible. I concede that it is tough. We live in a culture where true connection hides behind social media and fear of being vulnerable. But take it from someone who is an extreme introvert and who does not like to share areas of struggle (believe it or not, that describes me). Finding facedown friends is possible. But more than likely, it will require you to be that kind of friend for others first.

Life requires moments spent face down. If you don’t have a friend (or
 a group of friends) who you can call on to pray when your path gets bumpy, consider this post homework. Start praying for God to provide praying friends and look for opportunities to be that friend for others. Make a habit of asking for prayer when you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or lack self-control. A simple text or email can shore up the walls of your faith so that you can press on with God’s purpose in mind.

*Names have been changed to protect the friends I love.